Reservations:

Scottsdale, AZ. (June 27, 2012) – Beginning July 14, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain‘s popular Lunch & Learn weekend series returns to Scottsdale, led by Executive Chef Beau MacMillan of Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef fame. Through Aug. 25, Sanctuary guests and locals can connect with a great line-up of culinary stars and experts for a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon of cooking and conversation. For those who want to stay the night, Sanctuary is offering a special Lunch & Learn rate of $169 with a complimentary upgrade to a Mountain Suite, when available, excluding tax and resort fee.

Friday dinner engagements are an opportunity for 12 participants to dine with Chef MacMillan and a local or visiting chef in XII, Sanctuary’s ultra-exclusive dining room. Starting at 6 p.m., the meal is enjoyed at a custom granite communal table with access intoelements’ state-of-the-art kitchen. Tickets are $195 per person for the multi-course feast with wine pairings, excluding tax and gratuity.

Saturday lunches are held in The Views Ballroom, featuring a three-course interactive demonstration and take-home recipes. Lunch starts at 12 p.m. and is $75 per person, including tax or gratuity.

Details on Lunch & Learn will be updated throughout the summer on Sanctuary’s website. Guests include:

July 13-14: Chuck Hughes, who competed against Chef MacMillan on Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef and is the youngest Canadian chef to win Iron Chef America. Hughes is currently host of the Cooking Channel’s Chuck’s Day Off and the owner and chef at Montreal hot spots Garde Manger and Bremner.

July 20-21: Mel Mecinas, 14-year veteran Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, who was once commissioned to cook for Julia Child’s 90th birthday celebration. Mecinas values elegant presentation and using only the highest quality and freshest ingredients.

July 27: Kelly Fletcher, Executive Chef at the award-winning House of Tricks restaurant in Tempe, Ariz. Fletcher infuses traditional flavors of Spain, Asia, France, Mexico and the Southwest to create culinary intrigue through imagination and passion.

July 28: Lee Hillson, Executive Chef of T. Cook’s at Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Phoenix, who competed on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and has created meals for President George W. Bush, Barbra Streisand, Princess Diana and Billy Joel. Hillson will be joined byCharles Kassels, Executive Chef of Paradise Valley’s El Chorro Lodge, who has cooked for high-profile events including The Winston Cup NASCAR Race in Phoenix. Hillson and Kassels will be joined by Chef Beau MacMillan for this special event.

Aug. 3: Jeremy Pacheco, Executive Chef at LON’s at The Hermosa Inn in Scottsdale, where he also oversees the restaurant’s half-acre seasonal garden which serves as a natural training ground for his culinary staff. Pacheco will be joined by award-winning chef on the Boston scene, Gerald Tice.

Aug. 4: Gerald Tice, Executive Chef of Parker’s Restaurant in Boston’s Omni Parker House Hotel, who has served the likes of President George Bush, Sr., former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Prince Albert of Monaco.

Aug. 11: Bruce Seidel, CEO of HUNGRY, a new food channel on YouTube.com. Seidel will be joined by Sandy Pollock and Crystal Cook, also known as the Casserole Queens. Best friends whose delicious cooking goes far beyond casseroles, there’s nothing retro about these women except for their stylish vintage outfits! Sandy and Crystal’s recipes are modern classics with a twist, perfect for Sunday Suppers and easy entertaining.

Aug. 17: Gregory Wiener, Executive Chef of Top of the Rock, the signature restaurant at The Buttes, a Marriott Resort in Tempe, Ariz. Wiener brings 19 years of experience, a unique style of European, Mediterranean, and regional American cuisine, and awe-inspiring passion to his guests.

Aug. 24: Shinji Kurita, Executive Chef of ShinBay, a contemporary Japanese eatery. ShinBay was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” in 2012 by The James Beard Foundation. Kurita will be joined by Chicago’s famed Chef Danny Grant.

Aug. 25: Danny Grant, Executive Chef of RIA restaurant at The Waldorf Astoria Chicago and named one of Food & Wine’s 2012 “Best New Chefs”.

About Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain: One of the country’s most lauded luxury resorts, Sanctuary is a striking boutique property on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona, just minutes from downtown Scottsdale. Under the direction of Westroc Hospitality, Sanctuary enjoys international acclaim for its contemporary design, and award-winning elements restaurant and Sanctuary Spa. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Sanctuary was recognized in 2006 as the “top resort” in the United States by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler. Sanctuary has been a Condé Nast Traveler “Gold List” and “Reader’s Choice” winner since opening in 2001, and in 2012 was named #1 Resort in Arizona in Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World. Connect with Sanctuary onFacebook, Twitter and Pinterest